Washington, DC – December 22, 2020 – On behalf of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc. (NAREB), the country’s oldest minority trade association established in 1947, President Donnell Williams enthusiastically applauds the recent announcement by President-Elect Joe Biden to nominate U.S. Representative Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH) to serve as the next Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
NAREB wholeheartedly believes that the American dream of homeownership and opportunities for Black Americans to realize this goal largely depends upon the unequivocal support of the federal government. At the same time, we know that the elimination of disparate public policies must also be addressed to ensure an equal playing field for Black Americans to become homeowners.
Committed and knowledgeable leadership at the department’s helm works to ensure that HUD’s establishing mission can and will be restored. NAREB’s fervent hope, as it has been since our founding in 1947, is to achieve Democracy in Housing for Black Americans which also means closing the wealth inequality gap and providing an avenue for wealth building through affordable homeownership.
We believe that by selecting Congresswoman Fudge to lead the nation’s top housing authority, homeownership will once again be on the “front burner” and take its place as the strong federal partner actively engaged in promoting policies and implementing laws that support Black homeownership and re-charging the nation’s economic engine through homeownership.
The congresswoman has had a long and storied tenure serving her Ohio district. In addition, she has been a formidable ally to NAREB and its members in support of issues that affect Black Americans. Her leadership on the Education and Workforce committee and her vision in the space of diversity and inclusion lets us know that under her leadership, HUD will be headed in the right direction.
The nation is currently at a crossroads, and the steps that the Biden-Harris administration takes will determine the future of Black economic strength and wealth building. Congresswoman Fudge represents the kind of leader NAREB can proudly support.
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The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) was formed in 1947 to secure the right to equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed or color. NAREB has advocated for legislation and supported or instigated legal challenges that ensure fair housing, sustainable homeownership, and access to credit for Black Americans. At the same time, NAREB advocates for and promotes access to business opportunity for Black real estate professionals in all of the real estate disciplines. NAREB annually publishes The State of Housing in Black America report. www.nareb.com
Media Contact:
Joanne Williams
Email: jlwilliams@barrington-associates.com
Phone: 202-364-0024
Jill Harrison
Email: jill.forte@nareb.com
Phone: 770-896-8723